Kenya’s Gold Medal for Corruption

        Never before have Kenya’s fabulously successful runners gone to the Olympics in such a negative light.
       Kenya has a doping problem, no doubt, but seemingly not on the same scale as Russia. There’s no indication that the East African country has a state-sponsored conspiracy to hide cheating.While Russia’s anti-doping program appears corrupt – leading to a ban for its track and field team and a narrowly-avoided blanket ban for all Russian competitors from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics – Kenya’s drug-testing program is best described as inept.
       That doesn’t mean there aren’t serious issues and allegations in Kenya. The country’s track team goes to Rio – there was a moment when it also might have been thrown out – with its reputation at stake.
The Kenyan doping mess explained:
    THE PROBLEMS: – At least 40 Kenyan track and field athletes have failed doping tests and been banned since the 2012 Olympics in London.
Four senior officials at the Kenyan track federation, including the top two, have been suspended by the IAAF – track and field’s international governing body – after being accused of trying to corrupt the anti-doping process.
It’s almost three months since Kenya’s entire drug-testing program was declared non-compliant and suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency because of problems with how it’s run.Seven men – five Kenyans, an Italian coach and an Italian agent – are facing criminal charges in two separate cases in Kenya related to allegations of supplying and administering banned substances to runners.
THE CONTEXT: – Although 40 doping cases in four years is a significant number, the vast majority so far have been lower-level runners who haven’t won major titles. There are a couple of exceptions: Marathon champion Rita Jeptoo and two-time cross-country world champion Emily Chebet are among those banned.
         Kenyan authorities promised extensive testing of their Olympic athletes to show that the stars – such as 800-meter world-record holder David Rudisha – are clean. In the last few weeks, the sports minister said, around 400 tests were conducted on Kenya’s full Olympic team of just over 100 athletes.
The Kenyan track federation president, vice president, the former track team manager and federation chief executive are all being investigated by the IAAF over allegations they sought to hide positive doping tests or arrange lenient bans while seeking bribes from the athletes involved. Unlike Russia, the anti-doping agency and government departments haven’t also been implicated.
           While Kenya’s anti-doping program is currently declared non-compliant by WADA, so is Spain’s. Non-compliance doesn’t immediately mean a country should be banned from competition. It does mean that the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya wasn’t able to do tests in the run-up to the Olympics, leaving it to one of WADA’s regional bodies to do so.
The court cases involving Kenyan men accused of supplying banned substances to athletes appear to be getting to the heart of Kenya’s problem. Allegations were made as far back as 2012 that people were selling banned substances to athletes in remote training bases. Kenyan police and anti-doping authorities have clearly been slow in shutting that drug supply line down.
       WHAT SPORTS AUTHORITIES HAVE DONE: – WADA described Kenya’s anti-doping regulations as “a complete mess” when it declared the country non-compliant in May, but WADA doesn’t have the power to ban Kenya’s track and field team from international competitions.
       That falls to the IAAF and, in the case of the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee. The IAAF stopped short of throwing out Kenya, but placed the country on a doping “monitoring list” until the end of the year. If there aren’t significant improvements, the IAAF could decide on sterner punishment.
In June, the IOC told international sports federations to test individual athletes in Kenya to make sure they are clean before Rio.
REPUTATION AT STAKE: – Kenya’s sporting pride revolves around its world-beating distance runners. If just one of Kenya’s athletes fails a drug test at the Rio Olympics, then all of them – maybe unfairly – are going to be under suspicion. It’ll also probably revive the question of why Kenya’s track team was given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to go to the Olympics.
          Kenya’s javelin world champion Julius Yego said the scrutiny is going to be severe: “Everybody will be looking at the Kenyans and all sorts of bad things will be mentioned about Kenya.”
            Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta repeatedly warned the athletes against doping when he addressed the Olympic team last week.
“Show them we can win clean. Even if we don’t win, show them we can play clean,” Kenyatta said.

Olympics games Rio 2016 :Laste news

It seems a long time ago now, but on 5 August the curtain came up on the first Olympic Games to be staged in South America. And what a show it was. A joyful sashay through Brazil's extraordinary musical heritage was infused with a social message and a warning over the dangers of climate change. The athletes were cheered to the rafters, none more so than the refugee team, while Brazil's diversity and natural beauty were celebrated with style.

        Phelps wins 200m butterfly

        Michael Phelps cemented his status as the most successful Olympian of all time by winning five golds and one silver at Rio 2016, taking his tally to 28 medals (23 gold). The one that seemed to mean the most to the great American swimmer was the 200m butterfly. It allowed him to avenge his London 2012 defeat by Chad le Clos, who had since said he would break Phelps's world records in Rio, and Phelps's celebrations afterwards suggested he had enjoyed putting the younger man in his place.

     A very honourable mention also goes to Phelps's compatriot Katie Ledecky, who won four golds and a silver at Rio 2016, setting new world records in the 400m and 800m freestyle events.

  

   Rose and Stenson Carry Momentum, and Olympic Medals, Into the Barclays

      FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — As Henrik Stenson tried to warm up on the driving range at Bethpage State Park on Tuesday, a crowd began to form around him.

The fans and pros were not admiring his swing as much as his hardware: Stenson had brought with him the silver medal he had just won in the Rio Olympics. He was carrying it in his golf bag.

“I’m not one to run around and have my medal at the supermarket,” Stenson said. He acknowledged, however, that the medal was there in his pocket as he spoke to reporters.

Not to be outdone, Justin Rose, who beat Stenson for the gold, said he had his medal nearby, too.

“It’s much easier to travel with than a normal trophy,” Rose said. “You can just slip it in your pocket and then carry on.”

Golf had not been an Olympic sport since 1904. Now that it is back, there seems to be a lot of fascination with the spoils.

Rose, who also won the 2013 United States Open at Merion, Pa., said he was amazed how many friends, family members and fans had asked him about his latest reward.

“Everyone wants to feel the weight of it,” Rose said. “That’s what’s curious about it. Everyone wants to see, ‘Oh, how heavy is it?’”

To pre-empt those questions, Stenson decided just to bring his medal to the course at Bethpage Black, where the Barclays tournament is being held this week. It started with a simple desire to show the silver to his putting coach, Philip Kenyon. But word quickly got out.

“Someone on the range wanted to see it,” Stenson said. “Then the fans saw it. So, of course, they can have a little look.”

Rose admitted it was a little difficult turning the page from his triumph in Rio back to the regular PGA Tour schedule and the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs. But he said he hoped the momentum from his Olympic victory would carry into this week.

Sony Xperia Z5 review:

At IFA 2015 Sony announced a trio of new smartphones which make up the Xperia Z5 range. As well and the Compact and Premium versions, the regular Xperia Z5 is here and this is our full and in-depth review. See: The best phones of 2015. 

Updated 18 January 2016 with audio tests, then 29 April 2016 with new camera tests.

With technology in smartphones hitting something of a ceiling, it's hard to differentiate in a crowded and fierce market. Sony, like HTC and others, is finding it hard to compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple but will hope that the new Xperia Z5 will give it a needed boost.

SONY XPERIA Z5 REVIEW: RELEASE DATE AND PRICE

The Xperia Z5's official price is £549 if you go to the web store. although Sony has now discounted it to £469. However, you're probably better off going elsewhere as prices range from £325 from websites we wouldn't necessarily recommend, through to £399 from Debenhams.

Of course, its rivals have also dropped in price, and there are now plenty of new ones to compete with, such as the Huawei P9 and Xiaomi Mi 5.

If you want a smaller phone, the Z5 Compact is a cheaper option and has many of the same features. Also see: Best MiFi 2016.

SONY XPERIA Z5 REVIEW: DESIGN AND BUILD

In terms of design, Sony hasn't really changed its formula which has been in place since the original Xperia Z. The Xperia Z5 has that square industrial style look and feel which makes it instantly recognisable as a Sony handset. That said, there are some tweaks which are nice.

The Xperia Z5 looks more desirable than previous models if you ask us and this is largely due to the new frosted glass rear cover which give it a really nice matt finish and the graded metal frame which matches the colour you choose. You'll be able to choose from white, gold, graphite black and green with the latter being our favourite.

Once again, Sony offers full waterproofing and there's only one flap to cover the card slots so you don't need to faff around with headphone or USB ports which makes things hassle-free.Update: Sony has backtracked on the 'fully waterproof' claim and now says you shouldn't immerse the Z5 or try to take photos or videos underwater. Its website says "Remember not to use the device underwater. If you accidentally get the device wet with non-fresh water, wash the device with tap water."

A change you may have noticed is that the iconic round power button is gone. This has been replaced by a flat and slightly recessed button which also houses a fingerprint scanner (we'll talk about this more below).

Something we don't like, although it's a small detail, is that the volume rocker is now further down on the side of the phone. It's pretty close to the bottom and is quite difficult to use – above the power button seems to make more sense.

Unfortunately, the device has got thicker and heavier compared with the previous model. It's now 7.3mm and 154g compared to 6.9mm and 144g. Although that's not a big difference, the Z5 doesn't feel as nice in the hand compared to rivals. The square shape just isn't as ergonomic and there are places where the edge of the glass or metal is quite sharp.

This might seem like a small thing to point out but in day to day life it matters more than say a few extra frames per second in a graphics benchmark.

SONY XPERIA Z5 REVIEW: HARDWARE AND SPECS

Let's get a couple of things out of the way on the specs side of things. The Xperia Z5 still has a 5.2in screen with a Full HD resolution so that's the same as the Xperia Z2. The new screen tech is found on the Xperia Z5 Premium, which is the first 4K smartphone we've seen - we'll debate whether you need that over on that review.

The quality is still good but we would have preferred it if the regular Z5 was Quad HD. The only new thing to talk about here is that the display can be used normally even when covered in water droplets.

Another thing which remains the same is that the Xperia Z5 has a Snapdragon 810 processor, not the 820 as per some rumours. We found the phone extremely nippy in use, even launching the camera and in normal use it doesn't overheat quite like the Z3+.

However, it can if you push it hard enough. When recording 4K video we got a warning at around 19 and a half minutes - an icon notifies you of the high temperature, too -  but we did reach 30 minutes of continuous recording without the camera switching itself off.

4GB of RAM was rumoured but it remains at 3GB and there's 32GB (21GB available on our sample) of internal storage plus a Micro-SD card slot which can accept up to 200GB more, according to Sony. It's good to see Sony sticking with expandable storage with so many devices (the OnePlus 2, iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 to name just three) not having this feature.

The Xperia range has long touted good battery life and the Z5 is no different with Sony still claiming two days of usage. The still non-removable battery is 2900mAh in capacity which is oddly 30mAh lower than the Z3+. You'll be able to quick charge the phone getting five and half hours usage from a 10 minute charge – however, the QCH10 charger is not included in the box and will cost you £19 from Sony.

In our battery benchmark test using Geekbench 3, we recorded a time of five hours and 37 minutes with a score of 3376. This is respectable but just over an hour short of rivals like the Galaxy S6 which we didn't expect due to the lower resolution screen. We have found battery life to be good from a user point of view and should last most the advertised two days.

So what has changed? Well Sony is going big on two features: the new camera and the fingerprint sensor.

Sony admits that it's a bit late with a fingerprint sensor but it's managed to do something a bit different. Yes, it's inside a button like rivals but the firm has put it inside the power button. This is firstly impressive since it sits on the side and is really slim but also means it's a much more ergonomic placement – exactly where your thumb naturally falls when you pick up the phone so all you need to do is push the power button and the sensor reads your print at the same time. It's consistently quick and accurate.

SONY XPERIA Z5 REVIEW: CAMERA REVIEW

Now onto the camera which is new for the first time since the Xperia Z1. The Xperia Z5 now boasts a 23Mp main camera (1/2.3in and f/2 aperture) with various improvements and features – it's the same camera on the Compact andPremium models, too.

Before we get to the bad news, we'd like to give Sony a nice round of applause for keeping the two-stage dedicated physical camera button on the side which not only launches the camera app whenever you need, but also makes taking photos easier and nicer.

Sony is touting three main improvements for the camera. It has the fastest autofocus according to the firm at 0.03 seconds thanks to a hybrid system, it also has x5 Clear Image Zoom which is meant to give better results when you zoom in on an object (or crop a photo) and it also provides the clearest low light performance.

However, we're unconvinced that the sensor really does have 23 million pixels. For one thing, Sony sets the camera to 8Mp by default so you'll have to head into the settings to switch to the full 23Mp compliment (this is a 4:3 aspect ratio). The second is that when you compare photos with rivals at 1:1, you see much more detail from those with 12- and 16Mp sensors, adding weight to the argument that it's really an 8Mp sensor that interpolates to 23Mp. Whichever is true, the photos speak for themselves.

Going back to what Sony says about the camera and that autofocus is incredibly fast. Perhaps not 0.03 seconds every time (that's pretty hard to measure) but it's one of the quickest we've ever seen and should help you to capture moments better when the window of opportunity is small. Focus is sometimes soft round the edge of photos.

The Clear Image Zoom feature seems to be nothing more than marketing hype as we've not found it to be at all effective. In fact, a photo taken at 'x5' compared to zooming in on a full-frame still is actually better. As usual, you'll want a camera with optical zoom if you want good results in this respect.

To illustrate this, here's a "23Mp" photo taken on the Z5. It's not too bad apart from the blow-out highlights.

Now let's zoom in 1:1 so you can see the actual detail.

Below is the same 1:1 portion from the Google Nexus 6P which has only a 12Mp sensor: it's sharper and certainly doesn't lack any detail compared to the Sony which, theoretically, has almost twice the number of pixels.

Low light performance is good but the Z5 lacks optical image stabilisation which plays a big part in preventing shots in poor conditions ending up a blurry mess. For most users, the camera will provide excellent photos and video using Superior Auto Mode and there a load of other camera apps to play with including Manual, Multi Camera and the slightly odd AR Mask which lets you have the face of a gorilla or even one of your mates.

SONY XPERIA Z5 REVIEW: AUDIO

Speaker Quality

It is a pleasant surprise to see the Xperia Z5 equipped with dual front-facing speakers. What makes the Xperia Z5 standout from the crowd is how concealed the two speakers are within the phone, where at first glance it even seems as if the speakers don’t even exist. However, this does come at a price: When the phone is used at maximum volume, the phone’s speakers create quite a lot of vibrations that are noticeable through the full metal body. In terms of loudness, it scored a 7/10 in our tests – as a comparison the Google Nexus 6P scored 9.5/10 with its dual front-facing speakers. Read more: Best Sounding Phones of 2016.

The sound quality of the speakers is decent, where the mids and highs are really well presented and bring out a clear natural tone to music. Furthermore, the overall soundstage and instrument separation is top-class, making us enjoy our music content even more. However the Xperia Z5’s speaker did fall short on the bass department, where the bass did not extend nor had any impact, which left us wanting for more.

Internal Sound Quality

The Sony Xperia Z5 uses the Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 processor, where we presume Sony is utilising Qualcomm’s WCD9330 Audio Codec to produce its audio. We found its sound signature to have an emphasis on the mids and highs, where the mids sounded a little boosted and the highs created a great sparkle. The same couldn’t be said about its bass response which left us disappointed; a lack of extension in the sub-bass and uncontrolled mid-bass let down the overall sound quality of the Xperia Z5.

In terms of loudness we had to use the phone at 75-80% volume which is louder than some of the smartphones we have previously reviewed. Read our in-depth smartphone audio comparison: Best Sounding Phones of 2016.

During our tests we found the phone to produce slight crackling and popping noises when used alongside an amplifier; for example, a car’s amplifier. We also noticed a pulse sound that occurred after the phone was connected via a 3.5mm auxiliary input.

SONY XPERIA Z5 REVIEW: SOFTWARE AND APPS

Sony hasn't done much on the software side with the Z5 range - it's really all about the design and hardware.

The Z5 ships with 5.1 Lollipop and Sony will, of course, make Android 6.0 Marshmallow available for the Z5 range but there's no timing for the upgrade at the time of writing. LG is rolling it out to the G4 starting week of 19 October which is very quick so we hope Sony can follow suit.

On top of the stock Android elements like recent apps, Sony still adds its floating widgets giving you things like a calculator, timer and even a web browser which can be resized, and pinned to the side when not in use. We also welcome the ability to customise the quick settings so you can make sure the ones you use the most are there.

We're seeing much less fragmentation with Android these days and Sony is one smartphone maker which doesn't really mess too much with the vanilla interface. It does have the firm's usual style and add-ons such as nice wallpapers, widgets and apps such as Walkman and PlayStation.

All of which are welcome but there are a bunch of other things pre-loaded such as Dropbox, Facebook, Amazon Shopping, Kobo Books, Vine, Spotify and AVG which we're not so keen on. We think users should be the ones to decide which apps are installed. Combine, they take up a reasonable amount of space but you can uninstall any you don't wish to keep which means this isn't a big problem.

iPhone 5S review : a great smartphone

The iPhone 5S is no longer part of Apple's smartphone lineup. That's now comprised of the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. Effectively the iPhone 5S has been replaced by the new iPhone SE, reviewed (and shown in the video above). We've updated our iPhone 5S review in the light of the iPhone SE. (Much of this review was originally written in September 2013, then fully updated in September 2015.)

Update June 2016: The iPhone SE has replaced the iPhone 5S in Apple's iPhone range. Essentially, it's the internals from an iPhone 6S in the body of an iPhone 5S. It costs £359 for the 16GB model, making it very good value for an iPhone that performs this well with the excellent rear camera from the iPhone 6S.

You can still buy a brand new iPhone 5S, though. You'll pay around £250 for the 16GB version or around £350 for the 32GB model. Alternatively, you can get it on contract for around £15 per month and a £60 upfront cost.

Typically, you'll only find it in Space Grey or Silver. Gold has been dropped, and there's no 64GB version any more. All versions can be found in various conditions on ebay, Gumtree and other sites of course.

The 5S originally cost £549 (16GB) and £629 (32GB). Apple then cut these prices in 2015 to £379 and £419 respectively. Also see: Best MiFi 2016.

Our advice is to go for the iPhone SE if you can afford it as although it doesn't have an upgraded screen compared to the iPhone 5S, the huge leap in performance and camera quality makes it a much better - not to mention more future-proof - choice.

Here follows our original iPhone 5S review, which was last updated in September 2015. The only thing that's changed is that we now know that the 5S will be upgradeable to iOS 10.

IPHONE 5S REVIEW: TWO YEARS ON

It's September 2015 and we've had our 5S for two years, so we're experts in its strengths and weaknesses. Fortunately, any downsides are more than outweighed by benefits and the 5S is still a truly great smartphone.

Screen sizes have moved on quickly from the 4in display bestowed upon the iPhone 5S and it now feels dinky compared to even the 4.7in iPhone 6S let alone the 6S Plus with its 5.5in screen. However, not everyone wants a huge smartphone and the 5S slips into a pocket with ease, whereas Apple's latest phablet does not.

It's also supremely well built and surprisingly light considering that sturdy build quality. The screen may be small but it still competes with the best in terms of quality. There's really no need for any more pixels since at 326ppi, you can't see the individual dots anyway.

We've also no issue with performance. We've been running iOS 9 for a few short days, but as with iOS 8, apps still run as quick as ever. This is partly thanks to the fact that the A7 processor is a 64-bit chip. As we said at the 5S's launch, this makes it more future-proof than the iPhone 5 and 5C which have 32-bit processors.

You will miss out on some of the new features in newer iPhones, though. The 5S has the useful TouchID sensor for unlocking the phone and making purchases with your finger, but it doesn't have NFC which you need for Apple Pay and it doesn't support 802.11ac Wi-Fi. Perhaps the biggest difference is that it doesn't have the 3D Touch screen of the iPhone 6S so you can't use the new context menus in iOS 9.

   Just as the iPhone 4S was almost indistinguishable from the iPhone 4, the 5S has only its rather understated golden finish and TouchID to differentiate it from the iPhone 5. The similarities are largely superficial, though. See also: Apple iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5 comparison review: What's the difference?

The iPhone 5S's dimensions are 123.8x58.6x7.6mm, and it weighs just 112g. That's the same as the iPhone 5. See also: Best cases for the iPhone 5S

The 4in Retina display has the same 1136x640 resolution as the iPhone 5 (and 5C) and is a decent screen. However, compared to the larger, much higher resolution displays of the iPhone 5S’s rivals, the screen does feel cramped.

We've mentioned the lack of 802.11ac Wi-Fi but, with 802.11n on board, the 5S should still be quicker than your broadband connection, and 802.11ac routers are still relatively few and far between - you probably have an 802.11n router at home. The 5S doesn't support as many LTE bands as the newer iPhones, but you'll still be able to use it in most countries on 3G.

IPHONE 5S REVIEW: TOUCH ID

If you're upgrading from an older iPhone the first thing you notice about the iPhone 5S is its Home button. The Touch ID fingerprint scanner lets you unlock the phone in an instant by touching it. It's a convenient feature which is more secure than the four-digit passcode most iPhone owners use.

You can register up to five fingers, and set restrictions based on the fingerprint. This is handy as it means you could, for example, register your child's finger and disable access to the App Store and Safari as well as set age-appropriate limits on music, TV shows and films. It still falls short of proper user profiles, but it's one step in the right direction. Each stored fingerprint can have an attached name so you remember whose is whose.

Using Touch ID doesn't preclude using a passcode. In fact, you need to set up a passcode in order to use Touch ID, and enter it before registering a new fingerprint.

Touch ID isn't only for unlocking the 5S: you can also use your finger instead of your Apple ID password. When you purchase an app, for example, you'll be prompted to touch the scanner. This is an option you can disable in the settings, though, restricting fingers to unlocking the iPhone on
       

      

The iPhone 5S has a 64-bit A7 processor and a motion co-processor – the M7 – which is used by fitness apps, including Apple's own Health app. It means the 5S can replace the likes of a Fitbit or Withings Pulse.

In our benchmarks, the 5S completed the SunSpider test in just 417ms. The iPhone 5 (running iOS 7), meanwhile, took 721ms, and the Samsung Galaxy S4 922ms.

Similar gains were found in Geekbench 3, with the iPhone 5 scoring 721 points, and the 5S managing 1,076. Running GLBenchmark 2.7 (Egypt HD), the iPhone 5S managed 53fps, compared to the iPhone 5’s 41fps. However, a bigger difference can be seen using the T-Rex HD test, where the 5S scored 37fps versus the 5’s 14fps. That’s more than twice the performance.

We don't yet have benchmark results for the new iPhone 6S or 6S Plus, but they will be roughly twice as fast again. To see how the iPhone 5S stacks up against the current competition (it still fares very well) then see What's the fastest smartphone?

Storage options are limited to 16- or 32GB, but don't forget some is used up by system files. So you lose 3-4GB straight away. We don't think many people will be happy with 12-ish gigabytes for all their apps, videos, music and photos, which means you'll need the 32GB version since there's no card slot to expand storage as with most Android phones.

  The 5S has a 5.92Wh battery which is built-in and non-removable. Apple says the iPhone 5S will last for up to 250 hours on standby, and 10 hours of talk time. Web surfing is 8 hours on 3G, and 10 hours on LTE and Wi-Fi. Apple claims 10 hours for video playback and 40 hours audio playback, for the iPhone 5S.

Such figures are usually taken with a pinch of salt, but Apple's claims are typically close to the mark. In our video-looping test, the 5S lasted an impressive 11 hours, which compares well with an iPhone 5 (running iOS 7) which managed just shy of nine-and-three-quarter hours.

As we always say, your mileage will vary depending on how you use your phone. You should get a day's use out of the 5S with no worries about saving power, but constant 3G and 4G use will drain the battery much faster. And, of course, there's the new low power mode in iOS 9.

CAMERAS

The iPhone 5S has a front-facing FaceTime HD camera and a rear-facing 8Mp camera. The specifications work out as follows.

The iPhone 5S iSight camera has what Apple describes as a 'better 8Mp sensor' than either the iPhone 5 or the iPhone 5C. It has ƒ/2.2 aperture and a True Tone flash which has two LEDs, one of which is amber. The FaceTime camera takes 1.2Mp photos at a resolution of 1280x960, and offers 720p HD video recording.

Photos taken in dark conditions have much less noise than the iPhone 5, but camera tech has moved on in the last two years and the 5S doesn't do as good a job as the best phone cameras.

In good light, you won’t see a huge difference between images from the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6. We fully expect the new 12Mp camera in the 6S and 6S Plus will put the 5S's photos in the shade, though.

Here are two photos, the first from the iPhone 5, and the second from the 5S. The difference is subtle, but noticeable.

The iPhone 5S now comes with iOS 9. 

Samsung galaxy edge plus

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge was one of the best phones of 2015, and as you might imagine, its larger-screened successor the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is similarly impressive. 

Unfortunately, since most of the device’s internals are identical to the vanilla Edge, this phone is likely to live and die on its increased size. But can adding an extra half-inch save it, or is the S6 Edge Plus just too big?

Latest news
Design, display and build quality
Battery and charging
Keyboard
Productivity, software and features
Specs and hardware
Camera
Verdict

12/07/2016: Users of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge on Verizon packages in the US are to get a new update to their devices that fixes a problem that resulted in customers losing all their data.

The software bug sets off an "unintentional device Factory Data Reset (FDR) after multiple failed attempts to use a fingerprint to unlock the device."

The update means that users can have up to 15 failed unlock attempts for the device to start an FDR - users will have 10 attempts to unlock the device using their fingerprint, and five goes to use their backup PIN or password.

The update takes the software version to MMB29K.G920VVRU4CPF2 for the Galaxy S6 and MMB29K.G925VVRU4CPF2 for the edge version.

08/03/2016: The successor to the Samsung Galaxy S6 is almost here. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, announced last month at MWC, is set to go on general sale on Friday 11 March.

On the outside, the new models don't look vastly different to the Galaxy S6, retaining the same metal and glass casing, although the vanilla S7 now has a curved rear shell.

Where they do differ is in the internals. Not only do they have an upgraded Samsung Exynos 8890 CPU (in the UK, at least), but they've also got a beefed up memory allocation - at least 4GB, according to reports.

They've also got bigger batteries - the S7 has a 3000mAh capacity, while the S7 carries a whopping 3600mAh charge.

Although these have to power the upgraded components, bold efficiency claims regarding the new chips suggest the new S7 range is likely to improve the already impressive battery life of the S6 and S6 Edge.

Samsung has also reinstated some fan-favourite features, bringing back IP68-rated water and dust-proofing, as well as expandable storage via MicroSD card.

Interestingly, Samsung did not unveil an 'Edge Plus' variant of the S7 as expected - although this could arrive later in the year.

You can read our full hands-on with the new devices here, and look out for a full review coming soon!

05/02/2016: The successor to the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is just around the corner - Samsung has set 21 February as the launch date for the new Galaxy S7 range.

The company is holding a special event just ahead of this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, sending out invitations with the hashtag "#TheNextGalaxy".

It is widely expected that the launch will include not only the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, but also the Galaxy S7 Edge Plus.

This is in contrast to the previous generation of the Edge and Edge Plus family, which were released around six months apart.

The devices are expected to go on sale in April, with a probable UK price point of around £599 inc. VAT. Samsung is also expected to debut new virtual reality products at the same event.

The Edge Plus really is a spectacular-looking phone, thanks largely to the distinctive curved screen. Coupled with a metal chassis and Gorilla Glass backing, the whole package is rather sleek-looking, and it’s one of the first Android phones we’ve seen that genuinely gives Apple a run for its money in the visual department. 

Even without the curve, however, the panel itself is still just as gorgeous as the previous S6 models. The display is bright, clear and vivid, and is among the most attractive we’ve seen. The huge screen means that viewing pictures and movies are an absolute joy, and contrast is also great, meaning that even tiny text should be eminently readable.

Sadly, from a functionality perspective, the curved rim remains as unnecessary as it was on the standard S6 Edge. Samsung has added a favourite apps menu in addition to the Edge’s existing favourite contacts list, but it’s not a huge amount more useful than any other shortcut system, and there’s no reason why it should require a curved screen. 

Beautiful though the Edge Plus’ display is, the downside to having such a staggeringly high pixel-count is that it can take its toll on the battery, leading to a slightly underwhelming battery life if you’re not careful about how you use it. This is not helped at all by the fact that the S6 Edge’s 3220mAh cell has been scaled back to just 3000mAh.

This was underlined by our tests, in which the Edge Plus achieved a fairly dismal score of just under seven hours. This isn’t an encouraging time at all and is roughly on par with the Tesco Hudl 2.

Real-world testing, on the other hand, was considerably kinder to it. Although we were having to charge it daily, the Edge Plus generally lasted comfortably throughout the workday. Even when we did have to pop it on charge during lunch, Samsung has ensured that the experience is as quick and painless as possible.

Power management is always a crucial issue for smartphones, and Samsung has addressed this with the inclusion of fast-charging in the Edge Plus’ predecessor. It’s among the most useful new features, and we managed to charge the Edge Plus by 90 per cent in just over an hour.

Also introduced in the original S6, wireless charging is handy for short bursts of juice, although the two features don’t work together, which is a shame. It works with the global Qi standard as well, so you can charge the Edge Plus with a whole range of third-party pads.

These features meant that the somewhat underpowered battery life was effectively a non-issue, as even ten or fifteen minutes charge provided more than enough power to top it up, and there were very few times when we found ourselves frustrated with the smaller battery.

One of the biggest concerns with larger phones is the usability. At 5.7in, it’s straining the limits of both pocketability and comfortable use. People with medium-to-large hands won’t have a problem, but anyone with smaller thumbs might.

As with many phablets, Samsung has attempted to counteract this by building one-handed use features into the S6 Edge Plus. Combined with the Edge shortcuts, these go some way towards mitigating the problems with reaching the furthest parts of the screen.

Despite these features, and some evidence of palm-rejection technology, we found that one-handed use frequently led to accidentally pressing the wrong buttons and inserting unwanted line breaks while typing. 

Fortunately, these problems are balanced out by the utility of two-handed use. The larger screen size means there’s plenty of space for a large keyboard, which makes typing texts and emails an absolute breeze, particularly since numerical characters are built into the top row of the keyboard. 

The tall and thin aspect ratio makes it a little tricky to use in landscape mode for anything other than a short burst of typing, but in portrait mode, dashing off extended blocks of text is a doddle.

Of course, some people still prefer actual buttons to touch-screen keyboards. For those people, Samsung has produced a keyboard case, which features a removable physical keyboard that allows users to type out messages old school-style.  

The utility of the Edge Plus as a productivity tool is underlined by the inclusion of some of Microsoft’s key Office apps, with Word, Powerpoint and Excel pre-installed as standard. 

While we’re generally against bloatware on devices, we’re actually fans of this. A far cry from the usual nonsense Samsung insists on stuffing its phones with, these should be essential apps for business users anyway, so having them pre-loaded is a great timesaver.

As one of the ‘Galaxy Gifts’ that Samsung bundles with the Edge Plus, the company has also included a 100GB allowance of OneDrive cloud storage with every purchase. This is possibly to offset the fact that Samsung’s much-beloved expandable storage is still absent, but it’s a good deal regardless.

Samsung’s split-screen multi-tasking is likewise present and correct. The mammoth screen means this is more useful than on smaller phones, but it still remains less functional than on tablets. It’s also only really viable when dividing the screen horizontally, as a vertical split leaves each app with around an inch of screen width.

As with previous flagships, Samsung has included a fingerprint reader with the Edge Plus, primarily used for security purposes such as unlocking the device. It works well, usually reading the print quickly and accurately. 

We initially found it a hassle to hold the phone in one hand while we unlocked it with the other. However, the ability to register multiple digits on the device meant that we could scan our thumbs horizontally, in order to unlock the device one-handed. 

In addition to unlocking, the Edge Plus naturally uses it as support for the company’s Samsung Pay service, allowing users to make purchases by using their mobile as a contactless payment method. This is a useful addition, but may end up becoming slightly irrelevant once Google’s Android Pay arrives as part of the Android Marshmallow update.

As you might expect from the follow-up to one of the year’s best-specced devices, the S6 Edge Plus is very, very nippy. Although it’s the same CPU as seen in the basic Edge, the Edge Plus’ octocore Exynos 7420 processor coupled with an upgraded 4GB of RAM is an absolute beast, and happily handled anything we cared to subject it to. We’re not surprised, considering it’s got roughly the same amount of memory as a budget laptop. 

Our benchmarks showed that despite the Edge Plus’ undeniably impressive performance, it’s lagging slightly behind Apple’s iPhone 6s Plus, particularly in the realms of HTML rendering. Other than that, however, it handily trounced almost every other phone and tablet we’ve tested and proved itself as an immensely capable device.

Samsung has a strong history of including exceptionally good cameras with its flagship Galaxy devices, and the 16MP sensor on the S6 Edge Plus is no exception. It’s a fantastic snapper, with fast autofocus, great image detail and accurate colour reproduction.

Alongside a host of fun features like an instant GIF mode and a mode for creating 360-degree photos, the Edge Plus also features 4K video recording at 30 fps, HDR and optical image stabilisation. It’s a top-flight camera, and pretty much guaranteed to have photos coming out looking great.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is an undeniably impressive phone. It's got some of the best-performing hardware on the market, a great camera, and it's gorgeous to look at. The problem is, all that lovely will cost you the better part of £1,000 - a high premium for a device that's essentially identical to one launched earlier in the year. 

Fundamentally, the S6 Edge plus isn’t that different to its predecessor. Unless you desperately need the extra GB of RAM for some reason, the main reason to plump for the Edge Plus over the original is simply the increased screen real-estate.

We’re really not sure that the larger screen is worth the price hike, particularly given that it’s drifting into the arena of the unwieldy. If you’ve got exceptionally large hands and you’re happy paying almost £100 worth of premium over the standard model, the S6 Edge Plus is one of the best premium smartphones around. However, most users would be better off sticking to the cheaper and more manageable Galaxy S6.